"Garling-sama!!"
Makino rushed over with Amara in her arms. As soon as she arrived, she immediately checked Garling's injuries. The moment she saw that hideous wound on his chest, even the always gentle and composed Makino couldn't hold back her anger as she lashed out at Shanks.
"Shanks! How could you go so far?!"
Shanks was already full of regret. Facing Makino's reprimand, he could only lower his head like a guilty child, saying nothing.
Seeing this, Garling spoke up.
"Makino, it was my own carelessness just now... I let my guard down. By the time Shanks struck, he couldn't hold back. It's not his fault."
Anyone who witnessed this scene would've been dumbfounded—who had ever seen Garling speak so softly to an ordinary woman?
Makino frowned and said,
"You two are father and son! Even if it was just sparring, you should still show some restraint! What was that just now? It looked like you were trying to kill each other! If this is how it's going to be, then Amara and I would rather not live here!"
At those words, both Shanks and Garling jerked their heads up. Garling was so panicked he coughed up another mouthful of blood.
Carl rolled his eyes subtly and said,
"Alright, that's enough. Good thing I set up some safeguards beforehand—otherwise, forget just this training room, the whole estate probably wouldn't have survived you two going at it. Makino, don't say things you don't mean. This place is your home now—with Amara. If you don't live here, where will you live?"
The moment Carl spoke, all three of them fell silent. Only Amara kept making soft little noises in Makino's arms. Carl reached over and casually took her from Makino, playing with her gently.
Shanks looked at Garling, who was also looking right at him.
The two of them held a silent gaze for a moment, until Shanks finally said,
"Your wound..."
Garling slowly shook his head.
"I already told you, it's nothing. Don't worry about it."
Those words stirred Shanks's emotions again, and he shouted,
"How could I not worry?! What are you thinking?! Are you trying to make up for something by doing this?!"
Amara flinched in Carl's arms, clearly startled. Carl frowned slightly and said,
"Keep it down, Shanks. You're scaring Amara."
Shanks immediately lowered his voice.
"I don't need any kind of so-called atonement!"
Garling looked quietly at Shanks.
"This is the punishment I deserve."
Seeing how stubborn Garling was, Carl finally spoke up.
"Garling-san, I can understand you wanting to punish yourself, but that was way over the line. If you'd actually died from that—do you think Shanks could've lived with it? He may act carefree, but even he wouldn't be able to take something like that."
"Ugh… how am I carefree?"
Carl shot him a glance and snorted.
"Don't interrupt. Look at you—getting so heated in a spar. Being a pirate really doesn't teach you anything good."
"..."
Carl turned to Garling again and continued,
"And Garling-san... do you really want patricide to become a family tradition? You think that sounds cool?"
He glared at Carl.
"What nonsense are you spouting?!"
"But it's true, Garling-san. Both of us had our reasons for what we did—but if Shanks ends up doing it too, what the hell would that be? What you did just now was way too childish—completely brainless."
Carl had seized the moment to let loose on Garling, and Garling couldn't even argue back—because deep down, he knew just how stupid his stunt had been.
Shanks, who had been listening silently, finally sighed. His anger had mostly cooled by now.
"...I really don't need you to make up for anything… Father."
That one word—Father—spoken by Shanks for the first time, lit up Garling's previously dull and murky eyes. Compared to the casual old man he used before, this word held far more emotion.
Carl smiled knowingly.
"That's more like it. Men acting all awkward and sentimental—it's just weird. Looks like the fight actually helped. Though it would've been even better without the ending."
As he spoke, Carl gave Garling a small shove on the back, despite the wounds still on his body.
"Garling-san, why are you still standing there? As the father, isn't it time you said something? Even Amara's watching you."
Garling staggered from the push and coughed twice. Shanks quickly stepped forward, reaching toward Garling's chest—only for Garling to grab his wrist.
Shanks froze, then looked up into Garling's eyes.
Garling's lips moved slowly as he said,
"Welcome home… my son."
Shanks's pupils trembled. He drew in a deep breath, gently pulled his wrist from Garling's grip, and then grabbed Garling's hand tightly once more.
"...Father."
As that word left his mouth again, both father and son smiled at the same time. The resentment between them finally dissolved completely.
Makino smiled brightly at the touching scene. As a traditional woman, nothing made her happier than family harmony. Amara seemed to sense her mother's joy and let out a giggling laugh of her own.
...
Carl suddenly clicked his tongue, drawing everyone's attention to him.
He shrugged and said,
"Now that's what I call a loving father and filial son. Makes me think back to my own time... tch."
Carl clenched his fists slightly. Shanks assumed he was thinking of Darian and felt a pang of sympathy.
"He was Carl's biological father, after all..."
Shanks, thinking this, quickly tried to comfort him.
"… Darian-san's been gone for a long time now. You don't have to keep—"
But before he could finish, Carl raised an eyebrow.
"Hm? What did you just call him?"
"Uh… San…?"
"You call that beast san? Have I never told you about him?"
"You did… I just thought maybe you—"
"You thought I missed him?! Don't make me sick. I was just thinking I didn't beat him hard enough back then. Our ancestor had to finish the job. Thinking back on it still doesn't feel satisfying enough!"
-----------
+110 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg